Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Trying to Catch Excellence


Let’s be honest: I’m a perfectionist! I can’t help it though. I will spend days meticulously working on a one page paper, because I know that it can be better. Some may say that being a perfectionist is a bad thing; that because I’m a perfectionist I am constantly being disappointed…but I disagree! There is a quote by Vince Lombardi that says “Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we catch excellence.”

I will be the first person to tell you that I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. And, after years of struggling with this, I have come to accept the fact that “Perfection is not attainable.” This fact doesn’t disappoint me; in fact, it probably excites me more than anything! I know that by trying to reach perfection I am becoming a better person.

By striving for perfection I have become a strong, hard working individual who has learned to appreciate a hard day’s work and the joy that comes when a project is completed. The quote by Vince Lombardi is a reminder that even when things aren’t perfect we can’t give up yet, because while we might not reach perfection, excellence is just as good. Sometimes the end result isn’t the important thing, sometimes we have to be satisfied with the road that leads us to the finish line.